This history of the neighborhood plays a vital part in the identity of its residents. If you have lived in the neighborhood for many years, the neighborhood history is a heartfelt reminder of days gone by. If you have just come to call the neighborhood home, it is a way to learn more about the new community you have joined. We would love nothing more than to be able to share the history of neighborhood name with all who reside there. If you are interested in writing a brief history of the neighborhood to share with the community, please contact us! |
-
Palmyra Historical Society President Jim May with Anthony Fratto at last years Palmyra Festival DayPALMYRA HISTORICAL SOCIETY‘s GEM DIG IS BACK
Palmyra , New Jersey . Once again springtime means Palmyra Festival time, and The PALMYRA HISTORICAL & CULTURAL SOCIETY will be hitting Broad Street this May 2nd with their 6th Annual GEM DIG fundraiser. Anthony Fratto of ANTHONY”S JEWELERS has graciously donated a treasure of rare and semi precious stones including a 2 caret diamond. We’ve had diamond winners for the past two years! Look for us on Broad Street with our famous BobCat and plan on doing some digging and sifting to benefit the Historical Society. Proceeds help to fund our public events, and conservation of historical items donated by residents. Feel free to bring any photographs or items of interest you wish to donate and become a part of Palmyra History! See you on Broad Street in the heart of Palmyra on May 2nd for Palmyra’s FESTIVAL DAY between 10 and 4 PM.
- Hill Family History
Ruth Elizabeth Chance was my husband's grandmother. She married Edwin Hill, I have a copy of their marriage book, in 1936 in Valley Forge,PA. They were married for 68 years, she died in December 2005. Ruth was born in Camden, New Jersey on October 3, 1918. She was adopted. She was told that her mother died of influenza and her father also had died, not sure if it was before she was born, but he was in the Royal Navy. That is all she knew of her birth parents. Her adoptive mother and father were Louis Serrat Chance and Bertha Dorothea Goff/Chance. They were married September 13th 1909 in Camden, NJ. I have their marriage service book. The 1910 census they are listed as living in Camden county, but the 1920 census has Louis, Bertha, and Ruth living in Palmyra. Louis was from Palmyra. I have a picture of his class dated October 20, 1892 with a list of students. One of the students listed is Howard Powell, we have a later photo with the Chance and Powell family. We also have several photos of our grandmother 2-3 years old, and on the back of one it says Palmyra. Also we have a picture of Louis Chance as a boy that says D.R. Vondersmith, Photographic Artist, 523 Cinnaminson Ave. Palmyra, N.J. Also have a wedding invitation for Jane W. Chance to George W. Albright, October 11, 1919, it has a card that states at home after Nov. 1st, 901 Columbia Ave. Palmyra, NJ. Have a couple of house pictures I believe date from that time but need to double check where it was. We have been trying to locate our grandmother's birth parents names but so far have no results.
Bruce and Debbie Hill
Palmyra, NJ -
A STRANGE KIND OF IRONY by Will Valentino , Palmyra Resident & Palmyra Historical Society Trustee
The fledgling village of Palmyra that started to form around the coming of the Camden Amboy Railroad in the mid 1800’s has survived a few hard knocks in the best interest of progress. During the, post Victorian years residents began to saw off the Victorian gingerbread on their homes and businesses were” modernizing” to keep up with the growth the town was experiencing. Through these intervening years, some degree of the old fabric of our downtown business district was lost to the whispers of this prosperity, namely the turret on the Pharmacy and it’s original façade and the beautiful Pennsylvania railroad train station. Once these things are gone, they are gone forever. Had the PRR kept it’s commitment to local rail service and properly maintained the train station as the centerpiece it was designed for, it may very well be a revered landmark. Today it is only a memory that is well served by the lesson of time.
The rail station ” bottlenecked” traffic, or so it was argued and it’s removal as a “hazard” in 1955 (seen in the photo provided by Riverton resident Cheryl Smekal) created a “highway” through the center of town that destroyed the original downtown blueprint. The station was worth saving because of Palmyra’s railroad heritage, but no one stepped in to try to save it. The town has suffered it’s loss ever since.
And now…the tragedy of irony…. last year the town of Woodbury NJ has discovered that a contributing source to the economic downfall of it’s business district is the fast moving vehicle traffic. Recent changes have been suggested to slow down traffic in Woodbury so businesses can be noticed and frequented. In Palmyra, no stranger to irony, who knew back then, that the “bottleneck” the station created, was an unintentional economic booster? While we can’t bring back the aesthetic grace of the train station, it is important to note that Palmyra is a town with its heart and soul in the Victorian era and the early years of the 20th century. We know today, from success stories in Collingswood that a town can grow while holding on to the integrity of the past. Even Burlington County Freeholders respect the importance of piggybacking economic strength on the back of its own history. The successful Lena Blackburne Memorial Diamond proposal of the Palmyra Historical Society found its strengths not only in honoring one of our most respected, world renown residents, but also in using our own history as a strength to help build on economically. It’s up to the town to capitalize on it.
Palmyra’s newly approved BID (Business Improvement District) program, the first ever in Burlington County is a step in the right direction and I applaud, the EDC, Mayor Gural and Council for seeing the value in a program that reaches outwards to bolster the aesthetic beauty of our downtown. Why not?? As homeowners and taxpayers, the people of Palmyra deserve a business district we can be proud of. Certainly, many improvements have already been made, but more certainly needs to be done. With the BID program in place, hopefully an overall vision of the district can be adopted to attract quality businesses.
One thing is for sure, a beautiful business district will reflect the pride in our homes, and a tree lined business district with well managed storefronts and quality businesses will definitely slow down traffic and turn heads. It’s time Palmyra wakes up before it’s too late.
I would encourage residents to let the Mayor and Council know how important it is to draw new and quality businesses to Palmyra. The Borough of Palmyra website has all the email and contact information to let your voice be heard, so Palmyra truly becomes “ A PLACE TO GROW”.
By Will Valentino for RIVERLINE NEIGHBORS
Website:www.boroughofpalmyra.com -
A SIGN OF THE TIMES
A SIGN OF THE TIMES
Every year around the Fourth of July, Gary Weart and his family make the pilgrimage back to the Palmyra - Riverton area to touch base with friends and enjoy the Riverton Fourth Of July festivities.
Indeed, it was a sincere pleasure this year to present to Gary, on behalf of the Palmyra Historical & Cultural Society, a street used, out of service WEART BOULEVARD street sign. The Boulevard was named to commemorate Gary’s Great Grandfather, James Taylor Wearts’ community service to the town as Palmyra’s first Mayor as well as Weart’s many other contributions in service to the town. Being a trustee with The Palmyra Historical Society has given me carte blanch with gentlemen such as Mr. Weart’s great grandson Gary, who has kindly patronized Palmyra’s Historical Society with donations, enthusiasm, appreciation and honor. In the course of our friendship, Gary and his brother Wayne a Pharm.D at the Medical University of South Carolina have shared many personal family photos and artifacts whose collective contributions have spanned generations in his family tree.
Growing up in Palmyra, as a boy, Gary has confessed to having eyed the street sign emblazoned with his family’s name time and again, but in good conscience, resisted the temptation of removing the sign to hang on his bedroom wall! In good faith, the Palmyra Historical Society who prowl the streets looking for lost history, with the aid of the Palmyra Public Works Department rescued an out of service sign in Gary’s honor. The sign was presented to Gary on July 5th during his recent Independence Day visit,(see photo above ) who was absolutely godsmacked to finally hold the prize and temptation of his boyhood dreams. Gary commented proudly that the sign would grace his den in his home in North Carolina. In such a simple gesture in presenting this sign to Gary, we managed to honor Gary’s family for their on going community service and for a brief moment, Palmyra was shining brighter than a supernova because there’s good reason that Street was named after Gary’s Great Grandfather and Gary took it home with him and his family to always remember it.
Will Valentino is a Palmyra Historical Society Trustee and writes a local history column called BACK IN TIME that is published weekly in the TOWN NEWS available at area businesses, Borough Hall,Palmyra Post Office and Roger's News.
© Will Valentino. No reproduction without author’s consent.
Website:www.boroughofpalmyra.com
